Ogun Shines at WAEC’s Prize Giving Ceremony

Miss Oluwabusola Majekodunmi could not hold back the tears as she was called forward to receive the First Prize in the 2006 May/June West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), during the 45th West African Examinations Council’s (WAEC), Nigeria National Committee (NNC)’s annual meeting and prize giving ceremony, held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, last week.

At the tender age of seven in 1997, the last of three children lost her father, a self-employed Chartered Accountant. Her mother, who was the Vice Principal of Badagry Grammar School, followed seven years later, during an undisclosed illness that lasted only five days. But rather than fall apart, Oluwabusola gathered herself together and faced her studies.

She said last week that the zeal to fulfil her parents wish for her, paved the way for her success. “I had to take advantage of that situation to excel in life, rather than wallowing in self pity.”

In the year that she lost her mother, she came third in the Junior Secondary Certificate Examination (JSCE), with 11 As and two Cs. In her secondary classes, she was the best student in both Social Sciences and Commercial subjects.

In last year’s May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), conducted by WAEC, Majekodunmi had A1 in all the nine subjects she registered for – Commerce, Financial Accounting, Economics, Literature in English, English Language, Yoruba Language, Mathematics, Biology, as well as Food and Nutrition. With this, she emerged the overall best candidate in the examination, winning the Council’s National Distinction Award.

The former student of All Saints College, Ibadan hopes to study Economics if offered admission. She told THISDAY she had written the Universities Matriculation Examination, last year and this year, in which she scored 261 and 286, respectively, but was not admitted into her two university choices – Universities of Lagos and Ibadan.

In her brief remark, she thanked God and her grandmother, whom she said toiled day and night to ensure she got what her parents wanted for her. “My grand mother has been very supportive and encouraging. Though I did not have all the texts, she tried the best she could to make sure I succeeded in life. I owe my gratitude to her and the Almighty God who said ‘you can do all things through His name’.”

Her grandmother, Mrs. Elizabeth Adepegba, who spoke in her native language, Yoruba, amidst tears, said she was grateful to God for Majekodunmi’s achievement. Her only wish, she added, was if only her daughter, Oluwayemisi, were alive to savour her daughter’s success.

Master Aman Arora, a former student of Saint Gloria’s College, Lagos, who could not make it to the award ceremony, came second with A1s in all the eight subjects he sat for; Economics, Geography, English Language, Further Mathematics, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The 18-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Jalaj Arora is presently studying Petrochemical Engineering in Marashatral Institute of Technology in his home country, India.

For Miss Oluwadetan Oyedele, the third place winner, a prize-giving ceremony she attended in Mayflower School Ikenne, while in Junior Secondary School I, changed her attitude towards her studies. In the ceremony, she said a particular lanky boy, whose name she could not remember, carted away all the prizes in all the subjects he offered.

“From that moment, I said to myself, if he could do it, then certainly I too could. From that day on, I read like I had never done before, just to come out tops like the Mayflower boy.” This magic actually worked for her, as she maintained the first position in all her examinations and tests, from that term and throughout her secondary school.

She represented her school in National competitions and won awards for her alma mater. The former student of Regal College, Ogun State clinched the third position with A1s in eight subjects- Economics, Geography, English Language, Further Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, while she had a F9 in French Language. The second of three children is also a first year student of Computer Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife. She hopes to beat Bill Gates’ creativity in the computer world in the near future.

Presenting the awards, the executive governor of Ogun state Otunba Gbenga Daniels, who was overwhelmed by their performances, gave automatic scholarships to the first and third place winners, who, incidentally, are from his state.

The Governor, who was also moved to tears by Majekodunmi’s story, said he would ensure she gets an automatic employment in any establishment of her choice on graduation. He commended the Council for effective and quality service delivery. “It pleases me to note that in spite of the myriad of challenges in the education sector, the Council has remained a symbol of success in regional cooperation among English speaking countries of West African. I congratulate this Committee and the Management of the Council on both your internet result-checking facility and the electronic registration for both the schools and private candidates’ examinations.

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Ogun state is one of Nigeria’s most educationally advanced state, home to her best schools with outstanding tutors and abode of the largest number of Universities in the country.
Her scholars stand tall in National Examinations and Competitions.